There are plenty of wildlife experiences that might draw you to South East Asia, with its brilliant diversity of tropical species and being home to some of the world’s most iconic species. Unfortunately there are many practices for tourists that can have a negative effect on the wellbeing of these animals, such as increasing the demand for species that are often endangered in the wild to be poached for shows and street spectacles.

One quick and simple way you can help yourself judge a situation is to ask yourself: is the behaviour of this animal natural? For instance, would an elephant usually be found with a brush painting pictures in the wild, or a monkey performing tricks on a chain? Probably not. Another way is to look at the condition of the animal itself: does it have scarring, seem stressed or like it is being held in poor conditions?

Sometimes though it is hard to tell, especially if the owners are touting their establishments as an orphanage or sanctuary. So how can you ensure your actions are of a benefit rather than causing further harm to the animals?

Don’t pose for pictures with animals on the street

The more people that have photos of themselves cuddling a leopard cub on Facebook, the more people that will want a similar photo of their own. Whether it’s monkeys, snakes, elephants or big cat cubs, these animals subjected to long, stressful hours posing on the street and kept for extended periods in small transport cases are as far removed from their natural habitat as possible. The simplest answer for how to avoid this scam is to not take part in it. The less people that pay small change to have a photo taken, the less we will see animals on the street for that purpose.

Avoid the Tiger Temple at all costs

Whilst the Tiger Temple might sell itself as a sanctuary there is increasing evidence to the contrary. Some reports suggest the tigers are drugged to induce sleepiness that makes them placid enough for tourists to pose with, whilst others purely state the poor conditions and controversial ‘conservation’ status of the project. That there have still been cases of people being mauled by one of the tigers indicates just how unnatural the environment is for them. More worrying is that the temple may fuelling demand for young cubs taken from the wild, and recount cubs being sick from overfeeding from well-meaning tourists as described by one ex-volunteer. Tigers are endangered throughout South East Asia and, whilst you might not be able to take a tiger selfie, your money is better spent taking part in conservation trekking experiences that contribute research towards protecting these animals and their habitat in the wild.

After the 1989 logging ban in Thailand many mahouts and their elephants took to performing tricks and entertaining on the street as an alternative form of income. Subsequently, millions of foreign tourists visit Asia with an elephant ride on their bucket list and unwittingly support the capture of somewhere between 50 and 200 wild calves each year to be sold into the tourist industry. The elephants are put through extreme forms of violence and methods such as starvation in a process referred to as Phajaan to break their spirit and make them tame enough for humans to ride them. Once domesticated, elephants that are part of trekking camps will often be made to work exhausting hours each day even if they are sick, pregnant or elderly, in conditions that leave them in a degraded physical condition – especially if they are mounted with houdah (chair) to increase the load they can carry. Whilst elephants seem like sturdy animals they were not designed to carry heavy weights continually on their backs and this can cause them long-term harm. Instead of searching for an elephant riding experience, make sure you do your research and choose to visit a sanctuary instead where you can see elephants bathed, fed and interacting in a more natural environment. Visit non-profit NGO Elemotion’s website www.elemotion.org for more information and a list of elephant friendly places.

Think twice before swimming with baited whale sharks

Swimming with whale sharks can mean big business in some places like Oslob in the Philippines, but you should smell something fishy about anywhere that can guarantee you a whale shark sighting. Whilst this form of wildlife tourism may be preferable to the now illegal hunting of the whale sharks, the alternative of baiting the sharks by feeding them and subsequently disrupting an already fragile marine ecosystem is at best ethically dubious. In Oslob there are rules in place such as staying four meters away from a whale shark with fines for touching as safety measures for both participants, but there is a disparity between what is said and what is enforced, especially considering what is possible to monitor when so many people are in the water. What a promise of guaranteed whale shark spotting does encourage is an attitude that wildlife is there for human consumption, which is ultimately detrimental to fostering respect for animals to remain wild. Take a boat and watch for whale sharks in the big, wide, open ocean to have an experience both you and the animal deserve.

]]>https://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/48/feed/0storyandpictureblog10014579_10153952602800511_1584080606_n1604721_10153952602600511_313052109_n1173765_10153952596340511_1554841320_n1010115_10153952599175511_952818742_n1896905_10153952601115511_1696435145_n1907957_10153952604395511_1122863372_n1982259_10153952598270511_607185941_n1510583_10153952597300511_86734810_n10003254_10153952599360511_1459567326_n983606_10153952601030511_1148810286_n1185353_10153952600730511_625292238_n1236490_10153952601450511_89974652_n1920374_10153952601300511_1581916695_n10150688_10153952602155511_715998661_n1392886_10153952603110511_655995097_n1972291_10153952603665511_1605951960_n1962704_10153952605205511_394624162_nOne Simple Packing Tip Everyone Forgetshttps://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/one-simple-packing-tip-everyone-forgets/
https://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/one-simple-packing-tip-everyone-forgets/#respondSat, 27 Sep 2014 00:39:35 +0000http://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/?p=39]]>You will find plenty of ‘How to Pack a Backpack’ articles floating around the web, you might even have seen an informative video or two about how to pack a weeks’ worth of clothes in a carry-on suitcase, but I have a simpler, more honestly achievable tip: squishing.

Let me begin at the beginning though. Setting off for an indeterminate amount of time around South East Asia I had no desire to be outweighed by my backpack. I chose a modest 35 litre with excellent back ventilation but a suspicious lack of side pockets, supplemented with an almost equal sized daytime rucksack. Between these vessels I have squeezed a copious amount of stuff – not all of it needed, including a 15inch laptop, a full summer wardrobe, one pair of walking boots and three pairs of sandals, two mobile phones, a travel speaker, a digital camera, a first aid kit, various toiletries, a sleeping bag liner, travel towel, head torch, plug adaptor and e-reader as well as multiple notebooks and novels and even a small set of oil pastels. And so I promise you, it can be done.

Firstly, as any good blog will tell you, lay out everything you want to take. I warn you now you will probably have to leave some things behind; in my case this was an inflatable pink rubber ring, travel scrabble and a beach bat and ball set which were all ambitious but unrealistic items for the packing list. Think light. You will thank yourself for it when you’re loading yourself like a carry horse once again, or if you’re not looking to pay any excess luggage fees. This is especially true if you’re travelling on small national flights that have a very restricted weight limit – on one flight in the Philippines we were even asked to step on the scales ourselves!

Next, you’ll hear some theory on packing the heaviest items at the bottom of your bag, then against your back and leaving the room furthest away from your back and at the top for the lighter stuff. This is interesting but basically not applicable unless you have an enormous hiking rucksack with a ton of room. In the case of the 35 litre: you put some stuff in and it looks full. Don’t worry, this isn’t the case. I would recommend buying some soft but sturdy containers similar to these M&S ones. This allows you to gather all your gadgets, odds, ends and toiletries with the benefit of them being clear so everything is easy to locate.

Start at the bottom with the heaviest, chunkiest thing, then take some of your clothes or anything else soft or small you’re taking and start squishing all the gaps. This is where the squishing technique becomes an art. Soft clothes in this way can be used to pack every possible gap around the chunky heavy thing until the whole layer is packed so solid it doesn’t even fall out if you turn your bag upside-down. Once you are satisfied that every seam has been stretched, begin the process again. Take something large that appears to fill the entire space and start to squish pack around it until it looks somewhat the same but the sides of your back are hard and quite literally jam-packed.

And lastly, don’t forget your hand luggage as the life-giving packing relief aid that it is. Don’t waste this beautiful gift from the airlines on a small going out bag, or on travel essentials only like your passport. A normal rucksack you might take to school is about 25 litres – almost as much as your backpack! Fill this right up with any clothes or gadgets that you just couldn’t squish any more, and anything super heavy to take advantage that most times on international flights your hand luggage doesn’t get weighed.

]]>https://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/one-simple-packing-tip-everyone-forgets/feed/0storyandpictureblogWhy You Shouldn’t Visit Oslobhttps://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/why-you-shouldnt-visit-oslob-philippines/
https://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/why-you-shouldnt-visit-oslob-philippines/#respondFri, 19 Sep 2014 06:20:12 +0000http://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/?p=33]]>There’s only one thing I can tell you about the town of Oslob in the Philippines: don’t go. There is a tendency amongst travel bloggers to over romanticise, but I wouldn’t want to lie to you. I’m taking inspiration from Paul Theroux, whose The Great Railway Bazaar might just qualify him as grumpiest travel writer ever, and telling you the honest truth not to bother.

Oslob is situated on the south west coast of the island of Cebu. We approached it by boat from Panglao Island and it loomed magnificently on the horizon until it towered over us. A mountainous body expelled from the sea, it is the geological formation that makes Oslob the perfect site for ‘whale shark watching’ and this is what it is famous for. Fine white pebble beaches descend into crisp clear water in a dramatic incline that leaves you waist deep almost as soon as you enter the water. From there the steep drop allows for larger animals such as whale sharks to swim easily close to shore. Do not be deceived by the idealized image of an organic, spiritual experience watching for whale sharks in the large open sea and, once found, swimming with them. Perhaps you envision a meeting of souls occurring as you float eye to eye with one of these creatures known for their majesty. At Oslob, this will remain a fantasy.

Whilst the Oslob Whale Shark Watching centre attempts to construct a formal semblance of health & safety and care for the environment, you are more likely to be poked in the eye by another tourist’s flipper or rather as another account reported, see a whale shark poked in the eye by a boat propeller. The Centre feeds the whale sharks a big helping of krill throughout each and every morning to keep them practically captive. Literal boatloads of tourists are then paddled back and forth just off shore where the boats form a semi circle, further entrapping the baited sharks for a jostling audience. Having the sharks become reliant on people for food is not particularly conducive to a healthy ecosystem, nor is the exploitative attitude and lack of understanding for ethical interactions with wildlife that it fosters. This is best demonstrated in the controversial photo of a young girl riding a whale shark like a surfboard in nearby Bolijoon, and only reinforced by the encouragement of one local we met that you could “touch them”.

There are other limited things to do in Oslob: there are the Tumalog Falls that have a healthy 4.5 star review rating on Trip Advisor, as well as an old fort and church that make for a nice walk along the sea front. For budget travellers it is wonderfully cheap to stay in the town, as it is to ride the bus (142 pesos / less than £2) the three-hour journey from Cebu City. The town is small and pleasantly un-touristy; if you want somewhere to spend a few days observing Filipino life that isn’t dominated by selling tours or surfing lessons then this is it, but please don’t swim with the whale sharks.

]]>https://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/why-you-shouldnt-visit-oslob-philippines/feed/0Girl-standing-on-top-of-a-Whale-SharkstoryandpictureblogGirl-standing-on-top-of-a-Whale-SharkSurprises in Cebu Cityhttps://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/2014/09/17/surprises-in-cebu-city/
https://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/2014/09/17/surprises-in-cebu-city/#respondWed, 17 Sep 2014 09:24:30 +0000http://journeytopatagonia.wordpress.com/?p=27]]>Cebu City is uncharacteristic of the white sand and crystal clear waters experience that otherwise dominates one’s idea of the Philippines. From the Cebu International Airport it sprawls, though relatively compact in size, as an urban metropolis that contrasts with the smaller more rural or seaside towns. Whilst many travellers use it as entry point only to the Central Visayas, the series of islands around the Visayan Sea that include Bohol, the Surigao islands and Boracay as main points of interest, an extra night or so especially over a weekend, does provide an insight into life away from the tourist façade that is worth seeing.

Flying from air-conditioned and fluro lit Hong Kong the contrast of Cebu City airport is immediate, as is the intimacy of its people that give the Philippines the truly honest reputation of being terrifically friendly. Sent on our way by an airport customs officer who asked if we were married, laughed when we said we weren’t and told us to make some babies with his goodbye, we were greeted by possibly the most jolly taxi driver for our ride, 375 pesos (about £5) later, Uptown. He smiled as heartily as he danced when he turned the music up loud and told us where the party party was every weekend at Mango Square. He was a bouncer in a previous profession and knows the party scene well. He now drives a cab to and from the airport and is often harangued by Koreans aware of the meter telling him to drive faster faster! What was a good food to try in the Philippines we asked? You like BBQ? Or there is KFC, McDonalds. We are trying to get away from McDonalds we said and he seemed confused.

Accomodation

Downtown Cebu is older and subsequently dirtier than Uptown, it has of buildings that have been stacked over time and compounded with exhaust dust. There is little price difference between Downtown and Uptown with Uptown being considered slightly nicer to stay in – though it has to be said the clean and newly built TravelBee (about 850 pesos / £11.50 a night) we stayed in still gave me a mighty electric shock upon touching a light fitting.

Food & Going Out

Near to the Fuente Osmeña Circle we had good access to Mango Square, the current top place for clubbing. This is really only to be visited late on a Friday or Saturday after several drinks to warm up for what is the music and club equivalent of the worst tourist destinations in central London or any of the clubs that flocks of euro teens descend on around the Mediterranean. A good warm up place, weather permitting, is Harrisons Bar & Grill just off the central road on the way Downtown from the Fuente Osmeña Circle. Bring Your Own Booze or stock up from the 7/11, grab something meaty and grilled from the food stalls and sit amongst the hundred or so tables that make up this outdoor park. Basketball, the Philippines’ favourite sport, is played on a couple of flat screens as party music drifts from loudspeakers dotted around the park. The crowd is local and the atmosphere is friendly, a situation we found to be common in our experience of they city.

Sightseeing

If you fancy a cultural outing get a cab to the harbor (also the ferry port) for 80 pesos (about a £1.10) or so and take your pick of the old colonial fort. Fort San Pedro, or perhaps slightly more interesting Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. Not being truly keen sightseers we did neither but stopped outside both on our way to see the nonexistent coastline, which is instead visible only as docks for the oiled and greasy cargo ships and passenger ferries that give life to Cebu City. The fort has a nice outside garden to take rest and shade from the graffitied religious zeal of the infamous Filipino jeepney, whilst we sat for a small time watching the business that surrounds the church and making conversation with the child hawkers that push small flower garlands on you for the statue of Christ in himself to in his child form (Santo Niño) that people queue to see. Cebu so far has been the only I have seen children begging and street sleepers. Elsewhere in the Philippines they have all appeared owned and in school attendance. They follow you around particularly after dusk asking for small change but seem much happier when a couple of pennies are accompanied with a handful of small chocolates, although perhaps a toothbrush and paste would have been more helpful.

Surprises

Cebu City might not be the most beautiful of places or have the most to see but it is not at all without its charm. It is a good introduction to Filipino culture, the friendliness, the food, the rhum! There are places of sanctuary amongst the madness also: Bantana, an arts café on Elizabeth Pond Street in Uptown, plays welcome jazz, showcases local art and has a good selection of second hand books for sale. The disproportionate number of large bookshops found in Cebu City is also surprising; they hold a beautiful amount of stationary from delicate notebooks to artist supplies and, beyond the most extensive romance section, some contemporary and classic books also.

Chinese cuisine from your local takeaway bares little resemblance to the actual food you might find in China. Pity the fool that asks for sweet and sour. What you will find, in Hong Kong at least, is an influence of both east and west, with classic dim sum sitting alongside an extortionate Pizza Hut, or more confusingly spaghetti alongside noodles. Whilst it’s hard to escape the oppressive M of Maccy Ds in the city, it does have its own signature dishes not to miss.

BreakfastThe Australia Dairy Company & Kowloon Dairy

In Hong Kong (HK) a queue usually means a good thing so be prepared to wait outside this famous breakfast club in the Jordan area of the Yau Tsim Mong District. The menu is kept simple with mainly your choice of eggs on toast with macaroni soup noodles with hot or cold milk or coffee being key ingredients. The scrambled eggs are a top choice and perfect creamy combination to a pleasingly chilled Kowloon Dairy milk bottle. Not purely reserved for breakfast, pick up the all day eggs, toast and drink deal for a bargain 32HKD (approximately £2.59).

LunchTsui Wah

Pick up something quick and filling from Chinese chain Tsui Wah found open 24 hours a day in multiple locations around HK. With everything from Hong Kong style dishes to Malaysian curries you’ve got a lot of options to choose from at prices for a main meal often coming in under 70HKD (approx. £5.44). It is as authentically Chinese and McDonalds is American though so don’t expect an intimate or at all luxury experience.

DinnerOne Dim Sum

A little further north out of the hubbub of the harbour is one of HK’s best dim sum restaurants, One Dim Sum. Rumoured online to have been awarded a Michelin Star, this place has a great atmosphere and dishes are fantastically cheap. My favourite was the Sesame Seed Balls that came made to order and were like nothing else I’ve tried before and, delightfully, your meal also comes with unlimited refills of delicious Jasmine tea. Get filled up for about 60 – 120HKD per person (about £5-10).

Say whaatttt?The Delhi Club

Throwing a curve ball out here but you’ll be surprised at the number of Indian restaurants you see around Tsim Sha Tsui. Listen to the good reviews online and check out The Delhi Club in ChungKing Mansions. Even a windowless, third floor location can’t detract from the great real Indian curries inside. Expect to pay about 150 HKD for a main meal with a starter and a beer.

Hong Kong is a growing city where skyscrapers seemingly rise straight out of the waters edge and old China fuses with the modern cityscape. The remnants of a British occupancy expelled in 1997 leaves the city easy to navigate with excellent Chinese / British signage. For British citizens, a six-month stay is allowed visa free for Hong Kong (HK) and with cheap flights from London matching those of Bangkok around the £350 mark, Asia’s international city is seeing more and more backpackers stop by on their travels.

Without a doubt accommodation in HK is where you will see most of your budget disappear. Aircon is pretty standard throughout the city and a basic double room with a modest private room is likely to set you back around 400HKD (roughly £31) a night. Once your accommodation is covered it’s easy to make back some costs with many of Hong Kong’s sightseeing activities being free or at least cheap. Travel on the MTR and buses is very reasonable whilst a noodle pot lunch or evening beer from HK institution 7eleven will set you back less than 10HKD (approximately 77p). A main meal will vary in cost depending on how fancy you are feeling and whether you’re craving Western cuisine but if you decide to sample the nightlife of Lan Kwai Fong or most bars your looking at about 48HKD (£3.69) for a bottled beer and that’s during Happy Hour until 9pm.

Most backpackers congregate in the entertainment district of Tsim Sha Tsui, with an almost infinite number of guesthouses filling up the misleadingly named Chungking Mansions. There are better and worse places to stay within the undoubtedly cramped mansions so find a place online, book only a night or two and take a look round once you get there to see if you’ve got a good deal or not. Whilst places do get very full and prices go up about 50HKD if you check in on the weekend it’s almost implausible the place would ever completely fill up so don’t worry about booking in prior for your entire stay.

The Good: ChungKing Deluxe

The biggest room of three we stayed in at the mansions it was third time lucky when we chanced upon this ‘deluxe’ accommodation. The room was clean even if its contents were a little tattered and broken and the shower ran hot. Soaps, fresh towels and toothbrushes being provided were a bonus. We checked in on a Tuesday for one night at 350HKD.

The Bad: HK Hostel Downtown Backpackers

If you enjoy a bed that touches nearly all four walls of your room, broken air con and plenty of roaches then this is it. Whilst the staff were pleasant and helpful the hostel epitomises HK overcrowding playing an excellent game of sardines. At 400HKD a night we quickly moved on.

The Bedbugs: Harbour Guesthouse

Perhaps it is unfair to single out a single guesthouse with a bedbug problem but guesthouse number two certainly had them. An otherwise lovely guesthouse with free tea and cold water where you could also use the fridge, we weren’t so keen on bunking with bedbugs for too long. With more space and facilities than Downtown Backpackers though you definitely got more (if a little too much) for your 400HKD a night.